Spellbound

Kris coughed as we approached the table causing Max to look up and notice us. He gave me a weak smile which I returned and sat down opposite him. Kris took a seat next to me, and Marc sat the other side.

I raised my eyebrows at Max, pointing them at his girlfriend. He didn't seem to get the hint so I introduced myself. “Karli right?”

“Karla” Kris corrected me, shooting a glare in my direction too. I shot him one back before continuing, “So what makes you think you're good enough for Maxy boy here?”

Kris put his hand on my arm stopping me from going any further, at the same time telling Karla she doesn't have to answer my question. She looked pretty relieved to be honest, and I didn't blame her. I was being a bitch and I knew it, I never intended to sink to Max's levels but I was.

Vero soon took over and got me chatting with Karla. She was in fact a very nice girl, perfectly suited for Max, but of course I wouldn't let him know that. Well, not until he'd get over the idea of me and Geno anyway.

As the meal progressed Max kept talking to me. We had a civilised conversation but nothing like it used to be. Kris kept me sane for the most part, and whenever I was talking to Kris, Max seemed to be happy.

We finished our main course and Marc and Vero and Max and Karla all ordered those desserts that you share. Max shot Kris a look and Kris reluctantly ordered one for us two too. I assumed he gave him the look because he knows how much I can't resist chocolate and sweet things, and seeing the four of them eating would have made me drool, most likely.

When the huge desserts arrived the two couples started feeding spoonfuls to each other and Kris and I felt slightly out of place. I didn't care too much about how awkward we looked though, not when I tasted the yummy goodness of the chocolate brownies. I tucked in, immediately scoffing the sundae like a total pig.

Max gave Kris a 'discreet' kick under the table, but he accidentally got my leg too. Kris looked over at Max who gave him another look. This must have meant something to him because he suddenly turned all of his attention back to me.

He smiled warmly in my direction while he placed his hand over mine, removing the spoon from it. He then scooped up some more dessert before feeding it to me. I had no complaints about this, the food was great and as long as I was getting to eat it I was happy.

Then it suddenly occurred to me that Kris and I might look like a couple, just like the rest of them. I moved in my chair so I was sitting slightly further away from Kris; I didn't want anyone getting any wrong ideas, and I definitely didn't want anything getting back to Geno.

Max seemed to notice the shift in my movement, he seemed to be watching my every movement tonight. He got Kris's attention and nodded over in my direction. Kris noticed that I was further away than before and leaned in close, putting his arm around my shoulders on the back of my chair.

“Elodie,” he whispered, “Are you alright?” I nodded my head, sending him a small smile as well. I murmured out a 'fine' before picking up the second spoon and continuing to stuff my face with chocolate.

Kris's arm stayed put around my shoulders, and although the only reason I let him keep it there was because it kept me warm, it was still rather comforting. I'd been staying back at Geno's but we were taking things much slower; in fact things were hardly moving forward at all.

The team had been away on a few road games recently so I hadn't seen that much of him and whenever he was back we rarely had time to spend with each other. I'd found myself a job in Pittsburgh because I was getting more and more bored staying at home doing nothing. Geno wasn’t too happy with my choice of job. Actually, most of the team weren’t happy with what I’d chosen.

All I’d wanted was something to tide the days over so that I wouldn’t get so bored, so I applied to become an au-pair. I got accepted by a family and now I looked after twin three year old boys while their parents were at work. I didn’t see what was so fundamentally wrong with it like everyone else.

As much as Geno and I had been home together sometimes, we never really acted like a couple which slightly worried me. Was everything that happened before just a mistake to him, a spur of the moment thing that he now regrets?

What worried me even more was the fact that we were never official, we just kissed one time and things went pretty crazy from there. I guess I would have to talk about this with him at some point, though the whole Max situation wasn’t helping things.

When I snapped back to reality I realised that everyone else had left the table and it was just Kris and me left, and he was even closer to me than before. One arm was still around my shoulders, though now his chair was a lot closer to mine, and his other hand was more than casually resting on my thigh.

His touch burnt through my clothes, heating my skin up like nothing I’d ever felt before. But it did this in a completely different way to Evgeni. With him it was because my body was on fire, because my insides would literally turn to flame at his touch, hell even mention of his name would send my temperature soaring.

But with Kris it was totally different; his touch filled me with anger, with worry. Why, all of a sudden, was Kris resting his hand on my thigh? He started stroking my thigh, very slowly moving his hand further up my leg. His other hand moved from my shoulder to cup my cheek as he looked into my eyes, “How about we get out of here?”

“Sure.” I smiled, lacing my fingers with his. I wasn’t 100% sure what I was doing but it was somewhere between leading Kris on just to get back at him for being so close to me, and being a complete and utter twat.

He smiled too and led me to his car. The others had already paid the bill so we could just get up and leave. I told him to drop me off at Geno’s and he gave me a confused look. I just ignored him and looked instead at out intertwined hands, how wrong it looked.

His thumb began to stroke over the back of my hand and I cringed inwardly at what he was doing. Surely he knew none of this could end well. He opened his mouth to say something but I didn’t want to hear, I just wanted to block this whole episode from my memory so instead I started singing along to the radio.

After what felt like an eternity in one of the most awkward silences in the history of the earth, we finally pulled up outside Geno’s. Kris hopped out of the car and sooner than I had a chance to react to, he was at my door, opening it for me.

“I’ll walk you to the door.”

“Sure.” This was my safe answer; it didn’t give too much away. To Kris, it seemed as though I was all for him walking me to the door whereas I knew that that was all he was going to do, and there was definitely no way he was stepping a foot past the doorway.

He took hold of my hand once again and walked us until we were standing right outside the door. I could see through the crack of the door frame that a light was still on inside, meaning that Geno was still up and possibly even watching Kris and me.

I couldn’t let my guard down, I couldn’t let myself do anything stupid with Kris, and I definitely couldn’t screw this up with Evgeni. I tensed up as I thought this which Kris noticed. He stepped forward closer to me and hugged me, once again asking if I was okay.

“I’m fine Kris, thanks.” I told him as I attempted to step back.

“Good.” He murmured in what I think was an attempt to be sexy. He stepped closer to me, closing the gap I had just created.

“Kris” I warned him.

He didn’t take heed of my warning, instead wrapping both of his arms around my waist, effectively trapping me close to his body. “Elodie, I like you” He blurted out, keeping his eyes lowered to the floor.

I can’t say I was surprised really, not after the way he had been acting with me tonight. But based on how he’d been in the past, tonight excluded, I was in complete shock. Not once had he shown any interest in me, and being on of Max’s close friends I would have thought he’d know about Max not wanting me dating team mates. Obviously he didn’t.

He finally lifted his gaze back to meet mine, my eyes were wide in complete disbelief; there was no way he could like me. He reached to touch my cheek again, gently caressing it. His face slowly found its way closer to mine, all the time his eyes flicking between mine and my lips.

My mind went blank: Kris was going to kiss me.